Downtown New London Historic District

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The Downtown New London Historic District refers to 600 acres and 130 buildings along the waterfront in New London, CT, an area roughly bounded by the Captain's Walk, also known as State Street, to the Northeast, Bank Street to the Southeast, Tilley Street to the Southwest, and Washington Street to the Northwest, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The district was expanded in 1988 to include Huntington, Washington and Jay Streets, the Southwest corner of Meridian Street and Governor Winthrop Blvd., and along Bank Street to Spar Yard Street, which added 180 acres and 33 buildings to the historic district.^[1]

Running immediately along the Thames River is the area known as "The Bank". Once dominated by fishing wharves and tall ships, Bank Street is one of New London's oldest sections. After the burning of New London by the British under the command of Benedict Arnold in 1781 the waterfront was rebuilt and the roadway raised to accommodate additional development and larger ships. The Bank is now home to a number of restaurants, cafes and boutiques and is dotted with a handful of 18th century (Shaw Mansion- 1753 Connecticut Navy HQ in American Revolution), Bukeley House (1796- Served with John Paul Jones) and 19th century buildings including the 1833 US Customs House, the oldest continuously operated in the United States and the site of the events surrounding "La Amistad".

Running through the Downtown Historic District is State Street that is lined with 19th c. buildings with the notable exceptions being the 1787 Court House at the head of State Street, the 1740 Timothy Green printing studio (off State and Green Streets) and the Nathan Hale School House (1774).

Also in the downtown historic areas are the 18th c. Green Street just off State. Laid out officially in 1787 many of the buildings in this neighborhood date from 1760-1792 and survived the torch of Benedict Arnold. Eugene O*Neill's favorite watering spot, The Dutch (Dutch's Tavern) is here housed in a 1760 building. The home at 79 Green a 1792 or earlier cape has been restored and is a private residence likely the home of Timothy Green or Whaling Captain Samuel Green.

In this area is the Starr Street District- a group of Row Houses built in the first two decades of the 1800s. New London's downtown is now undergoing a historic renewal and again is a place to visit.